Formula 1: Max Verstappen, Red Bull end massive droughts

Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s commanding victory in the Monaco Grand Prix ended a number of lengthy droughts in terms of the Formula 1 standings.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull took the lead of the Formula 1 driver standings and constructor standings, respectively, with their dominant victory in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco, coupled with the struggles of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

Verstappen won this 78-lap race, the fifth race of the 2021 season, around the 19-turn, 2.074-mile (3.338-kilometer) temporary street circuit in Monte Carlo, Monaco by 8.968 seconds over Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in second place. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished in third, just ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in fourth.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas had been running in second place when he made his pit stop, but a wheel issue during his stop forced him to retire from the race.

Meanwhile, Hamilton was never able to recover from a poor qualifying effort and finished in seventh place.

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Hamilton was able to secure one point for running the race’s fastest lap, but he found himself three positions — six points — lower than he probably should have been as a result of a poorly timed pit stop.

So Verstappen, who trailed Hamilton by 14 points in the driver standings entering this race, outscored him 25 to 7 to take a 105 to 101 lead, and Red Bull, which trailed Mercedes by 29 points in the constructor standings entering this race, outscored them 37 to 7 to take a 149 to 148 lead.

As a result, we saw multiple lengthy droughts ended in Monaco.

This is the first time that Verstappen has ever led the driver standings, and he is the 64th driver to be able to make that claim. The last time we saw a new leader atop the standings was after the 2019 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, when Bottas won the season opener. Prior to today, a total of 41 races had been contested since then.

Verstappen is also the first points leader other than Hamilton since last year’s Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, the season’s second race. Hamilton won that race, but Bottas still led the standings after winning the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix at the same track.

Prior to today, Hamilton had led the standings for 19 consecutive races, having taken the lead in the 2020 season’s third race, the Hungarian Grand Prix, at the Hungaroring.

Verstappen is the first points leader other than a Mercedes driver since the 2018 British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, at which point Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel sat atop the standings.

But after Vettel crashed in the following race, the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring, and Hamilton secured the victory, it was Hamilton who took the lead of the standings. Either Hamilton or Bottas had sat atop the driver standings for 53 consecutive races.

The last time we saw a team other than Mercedes atop the constructor standings was after the 2018 British Grand Prix as well, as Ferrari led at that time. Like Vettel himself, they lost their lead with their German Grand Prix disaster the following race. So Mercedes saw their own 53-race streak end today.

Prior to today, Red Bull hadn’t had a driver lead the standings since Vettel won his fourth consecutive world championship for the team in 2013. They also hadn’t led the constructor standings since they won their fourth straight title that year.

The 2013 season finale was the Brazilian Grand Prix at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Since then, 142 races had been contested prior to today.

The next race on the 2021 Formula 1 schedule is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live from Baku City Circuit on ESPN beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET. Will Verstappen and Red Bull maintain their leads in this race, or will Hamilton and Mercedes strike back?